Four Leaves
by eonentity
Summary: After the loss of Crystal, the Hoenn trio follows Amber as he brings two more people into the picture. However, Drake returns with a new mission in mind and compromises yet a couple more of the Dex Holders. What is he looking for? And is it possible that these two new faces know more than they're letting on? The Fourth Chapter of the Old Grudge Series and sequel to Strike Three.
1. Chapter 1: Violet Rain

Me: :D Guess who's back?

Ember: *going crazy with confetti* HAPPY BIRTHDAY RUBY! WHOOOOOO!

Gardevoir: *raises an eyebrow* Ruby fanatic?

Me: *pinches fingers* Just a little...

Gardevoir: So. You've been gone for two months.

Me: *sweatdrop* Eheh...

Gardevoir: *crosses arms* Care to explain?

Me: W-Well, I finally finished that project I was talking about, school is out, and I have no plans! Which means more updates! Yay!

Ember: Let's get started already! *shakes me violently* We're wasting precious Ruby time!

Me: *with swirly eyes* **Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon in any way, plot is mine, OC's too, um... ***passes out from motion sickness*

Gardevoir: *facepalm* **_Warning: _If you have not read Eon's previous stories, It Just Takes One, Two Sides to Every Story, and Strike Three, then I advise you do so to catch up on the plot. This would be a bad part to start in. **

Ember: *strikes on a pose* ONWARD TO RUBY THEN!

* * *

Prologue

"_What_?!"

Drake cringed inwardly at the icy tone. "It's true, sir."

The man before him emitted such a low growl that the redhead's skin prickled. "I figured it was that meddlesome Psychic type, but to think that _she_ was helping, too..." He let out a humorless laugh. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming."

"I can't say I did either." The admin rubbed the back of his neck, the face of a certain blonde flashing across his thoughts.

The dark man swished the cape around his shoulders as he paced to and fro. "Although, I suppose it was a fitting ending. She even managed to wipe out a threat or two."

Drake's mouth gaped. "How can you say that?! She was your second in command! She did so much for you!"

"But for what might I ask?" He stopped and glared at the boy. "If what you told me is no lie, then why would she pose as such a faithful follower? When in the end she planned to throw it all away?"

_This isn't right! You know that! I know you know that!_

The redhead bit his lip. "Perhaps she didn't believe in what she was following anymore."

"Perhaps," the man said narrowing his eyes. "Perhaps she never believed in it in the first place."

Drake looked away, focusing on the dark figure's black gloves instead of his face. "Master, is what we're doing really the right thing?"

There was a pause. Instead of answering, the dark man turned and began walking towards his admin. "Drake, do you remember what I told you when I first found you?"

The boy's fists clenched. "That you and I had a similar goal."

"Exactly," the man practically purred, pointing a gloved hand at him. "You and I, we're both looking for something. You understand my views more than she ever would. She did not have the same conviction that you do. Now that I think about it, I dare say that she never had any conviction at all."

"Then...why did you invite her, too?" Drake's eyebrows knitted. "If you didn't think she would be devoted to it, then what was the point?"

The footsteps on the floor faded as the man stopped before him, the inside of his gloves flashing briefly in the light. "There was a reason I chose you two out of my many followers to be my most trusted pupils. That is because of your powers."

Drake frowned. "She was able to keep the subjects alive to complete Project 1. What have I been able to do?"

"Fret not," the man murmured circling him. "In time, I will come of need of your prowess. However, had she met such a fate or not, she would have been of no use to me anyways now."

"How can you talk about her like that? Like she was so..." Drake's face softened with anguish. "Disposable."

"Because she was. Was she not?"

The admin could not answer.

_Run!_

_RUN!_

The redhead closed his eyes sharply behind the usual black sunglasses. "But...why?"

The dark man's expression didn't change as he slowly took the glasses off. "Drake."

The admin blinked reluctantly, two ice blue eyes staring into those of his master.

Said master frowned. "Did that woman influence you?" When the admin again did not answer, the man curled his lip. "What did she do to you?"

"Nothing," Drake muttered.

The single word was not convincing enough. Gingerly placing the glasses on Drake's silver fedora, the dark man gradually moved his hands down until they lay upon the boy's face.

Drake hissed gently, feeling a familiar chill settle on his cheeks. The emanating cold dug into his skin and buried itself into his nerves, swimming all the way to his head. He could only stand there, teeth clenched, as each of his innermost thoughts were slowly devoured by the invasive ice. His confusion, his doubts, even his memories.

There was one that he had just come across the other day, one that he had meant to ask her about. It was of him and her, together, with a guitar in each of their arms. It had been odd. Since when did he know how to play a guitar? There were other people, too. There was the girl on the piano, another with a flute, and the guy holding a different guitar. All of them somehow similar, all of them with the same shining red eyes.

...or...were they blue? Then again, were there two girls and one boy? Or two boys and one girl?

Drake shut his eyes tightly.

Actually, what was he thinking about in the first place? All he knew was that it was cold. So very cold. He couldn't even think straight.

"Drake."

Such a soothing voice, like someone gliding across the ice that was his mind. It calmed him, letting him know that there was at least one thing that he knew was alright.

"The blond one has tried to corrupt you. She is evil."

_Blonde. Bad._

"She's no longer with us. I got rid of her. Because I am your master, Drake. I will take care of you."

_Master. Good. _

"Now, are you ready for your next assignment?"

When the admin opened his eyes, they glowed a frightening yellow.

"Ready."

Chapter One: Ruby

"Uh, is that too tight?"

I stuck my tongue out, choking. "Never mind! Let me do it!"

Sapphire rolled her eyes with a scoff. "You're the one who said I should learn how to tie a tie."

I removed her hands from my neck and redid the tie myself, glancing around the room. I'd rented out two of them, one for the girls and the other for us guys, but as soon as everyone was dressed, the groups had merged.

White was teaching Black how to fix his tie while Platinum stood observing Diamond and Pearl's. Green and Blue were in a game of tug-of-war; she would try to tie his tie, and he would take it off with a sigh every time she tried. Red and Amber were attempting to position each other's, and Gold, Silver, Soul, and Emerald were no where to be seen.

"What?" Sapphire muttered with rosy cheeks. "Did you want us to look like everyone else?"

"Pfft!" I laughed to cover the red growing on my face as well. "No! I just figured you were going to start wearing suits since you hate dresses so much!"

"So what if I don't like dresses?!" She growled. "Somethin' wrong with that?!"

I looked at her black gown in disdain. "I'm just happy you're wearing one. Arceus knows what would've happened if you'd said no."

"I'd actually be comfortable?" She grumbled, tugging at the straps on her shoulders.

"Oh, stop grumbling," I muttered readjusting them. "You look perfect."

The red on her face grew brighter, and she shoved me away. "Stop that, you prude perfectionist!"

"Excuse me for trying to make you look less crude," I said holding my hands up.

"Who are you calling crude?!"

"Who else would I be talking about?"

She bared her teeth.

"Wimp!"

"Brute!"

"Sissy!"

"Barbarian!"

Her hand was already curled into a fist to hit me, but she hissed and clamped her other hand around its wrist. I lost the frown forming on my face and took them into my own.

"How bad is it?" I asked. "I told you to let Senior Yellow heal it for you!"

She sucked in a breath. "I'll be fine!"

"Sapphire? What's wrong?"

We turned to find Yellow standing behind us. She had been the last to get her black dress on and must have joined us just now.

I narrowed my eyes at Sapphire. "Drake hurt her wrist, and she refused to tell you about it."

Yellow's jaw dropped, and she took the injured wrist. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

Sapphire glared at me as a faint light surrounded our senior. "I didn't want to bother you."

After a minute, the light faded, and Yellow opened her eyes to look at the brunette. "Is that better?"

"Yes," Sapphire said flexing her wrist. "Thank you, Senior Yellow."

The blonde nodded with a smile, excusing herself to go help Red and Amber with their ties. I watched her go, not quite believing she was there.

She'd been unconscious when the rescue team brought her back. However, unlike her previous sleep coma, she'd woken up perfectly fine the next morning. Initially she'd been a bit slow from a loss of energy, but as the days went on, the girl gradually got it back.

Red hadn't left her side once during that time. Amber, too, had stuck around a lot, but he was considerate enough to leave on occasion and give them some space. After all, this was the first time the three of them had been together since Yellow was kidnapped.

"Hey," Sapphire said pulling me from my thoughts. "I think it's about time to go."

Blinking for a second, the words finally hit me, and I nodded. "Alright." I glanced at the others. "Is everyone ready?"

They turned to me, a flurry of black suits and dresses.

I could remember a week ago when we'd all dressed up like this for an important event.

But I didn't think it was quite the same this time around.

* * *

We left the Pokemon Center silently, walking in a single file down the sidewalk. A gloomy sky fell over Violet City, and it was as though not a single breeze was blowing. Sadly, it seemed to fit the atmosphere just fine. When we reached a certain house just down the street, I glanced back to nod at everyone before heading in first.

Inside the house, I led the way to the living room where a group of people were standing around a small shrine. On it I could see a picture of Crystal cropped from the one taken at the Battle Frontier surrounded by a small trove of flowers and lit candles. It was there that I found Gold, Silver, Soul, and Emerald, all four of them standing solemnly before the shrine. Crystal's mother was in the doorway beside me watching them quietly.

"I thought I'd give you all some space," she said sniffling through the tears that had already formed in her eyes.

I nodded and waited until the four of them had noticed and beckoned us forward. We all filed in, and although there were fifteen of us, we made it work. The sofa and chairs had already been cleared out of the room, so we used the space to form a circle around the shrine and hold hands. I held one out to Sapphire and Emerald on either side of me, which they accepted as Green took the liberty of beginning our own special eulogy.

"Crystal Kesshou was a remarkable person," he said lowly, steeling his eyes at the picture of her. "She was known and beloved by many people. Some had just met her."

The Sinnoh trio and Unova duo all looked at each other.

"Some knew her as a senior."

Sapphire's hand tightened around mine.

"Some knew her as a junior."

Red and Yellow nodded together. Green paused a moment to take a breath, and Blue gently squeezed his injured arm in comfort.

"And some simply knew her as our good friend, Crys."

Emerald tensed along with the three other Johto kids. I glanced over at Gold, but his eyes wouldn't leave the ground.

"Her passing was untimely and unexpected."

Amber's bangs shadowed his eyes.

"However, she will not be forgotten. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all the people she has touched. Because that's just how remarkable she is."

By now, tears had started forming in all the girls eyes, Sapphire included. Even Diamond and Pearl who hadn't known her for very long were getting teared up.

"May she rest in peace."

Green's jaw was rigid as he finished. I knew he wasn't one for a lot of words, but he'd said enough.

Everyone in our circle was tense as his last sentence sunk in. Tears were flowing freely by this point, and I gently suggested to Green that we go outside where there was more room for the breakdowns that were about to occur. He nodded, ushering everyone outside past the crowd of people who had come to pay their respects as well.

In the doorway, I realized that Gold and Silver weren't with us and went back to find them still standing in front of the shrine.

"Guys," I said softly as other people began coming in.

"Just give us a minute," Silver replied in a cold voice.

After a moment, I nodded and moved out of a middle-aged man's way before joining everyone outside on the lawn. The girls had definitely let it go now, and Emerald, too, had his head buried in Soul's shoulder. I approached Sapphire who was trying her hardest to suck the tears back into her eyes. She saw me walking her way, though, and when I got close enough, she ran forward and buried her face in my chest.

I patted her back, fighting to keep myself composed.

Our senior was dead.

That night just a week ago seemed so far away now. Since I'd been injured, I wasn't there when it happened, but Red and Amber didn't fail to fill us in when they returned. They and Crystal had gone to find Yellow along with everyone else, after which they were attacked by Team Rocket. During the battle, the rock formation in the cave was shifted and came down on them all.

I shifted my head just enough to look over at Platinum and the small bandage on her forehead.

They'd all been able to get out safely. Except for Crystal. After the rocks fell, she was trapped inside and looked for a different way out. The others waited for her on another island, but then the unthinkable happened: the entire HQ exploded. And Crystal had still been inside it.

Everyone had searched through the aftermath in an attempt to find her, but it was futile. She was just...gone. Gold had been crazy enough to try going after the Team Rocket grunts that had escaped, but after observing them, he'd been heartbroken to find that she wasn't among them. He still would have been in denial if it weren't for what Amber told us the next morning.

He knew Crystal was dead the moment the explosion occurred. Gold was so irrational at the time that he almost punched him in the face for saying such a thing. However, Amber told him something interesting. Just before the blast, he'd received a message in his mind.

"Your mind?" Gold had asked with a furious grimace. "Look, you Damn Sham Twin! Don't screw with me right now!"

"I'm not!" Amber had shouted back at him. "You think you're the only one who lost someone yesterday? I lost two of them!"

Gold's face had calmed a little. "What?"

Amber's lip had curled by then. "I didn't know the explosion was going to happen, but before it did, I got a message. It was from my Gardevoir."

"What does that matter?" Gold's irritation was on the rise.

"Because she was in there with Crystal."

Then it settled again.

"And...Melany."

Blue and Yellow had jumped forward at the same time. "Melany?!"

Amber nodded slowly. "I have no idea what they were doing, but all the message said was, 'Melany and I say good-bye. Look for the blue one.'"

"Oh my Mew," Blue whispered covering her mouth with a hand.

Amber clenched his teeth. "Crystal has blue hair and eyes, right?"

Gold's fist curled. "What of it?"

"I don't know why she was there, too," Amber said quietly. "but Sam must have been trying to teleport her out of the area." He bit his lip. "She's not trained enough to move people yet, though."

Faster than anyone could see, Gold had extended his pool cue and held it up to Amber's throat. "Is what you're saying true?"

The golden orange-eyed boy didn't even give the stick a second glance. "As true as the fact that I tried to kidnap Yellow."

The room went dead silent.

Then, Gold finally allowed his tears to fall.

After that, there was no denying it. Crystal was gone.

Glancing up, I saw Gold and Silver finally exit the house. The sounds of our mourning were beginning to quiet down, and the impassive looks on their faces showed that they, too, were done. The redhead made his way toward Soul as Emerald finally pulled himself from her shoulder. Instead of following him, Gold walked over to Amber who stood alone at the edge of the lawn. He glanced up at the boy's eyes which were almost the same as his own and nodded stiffly. Amber nodded back, and the two shared a few quiet words before heading back to where everyone was gathering.

Red glanced at the two sadly. "Why don't we go back to the Pokemon Center and change? I'm sure we could all use a day out."

Amber shook his head. "I'm sorry, but actually, there's something that I need to do now."

"What is it?" Yellow asked from Red's side.

Amber looked up at the sky. "I need to go to Hoenn."

Everyone stared at him blankly until Sapphire pulled away from me and glared at him. "What do ya need to go there for?"

The boy stuffed his hands in the pocket of his pants. "There's some people I need to talk to. They should know about this, too."

Sapphire scrutinized him for a minute before nodding. "I'll come with ya."

My eyes widened. "Sapph!"

She glared up at me. "I'm perfectly fine, prissy pants. My wrist doesn't hurt anymore. Besides, I'd like to go home. It'll be nice ta see Papa."

"Your father?" Amber asked confused.

"Yeah." The brunette walked up to him with a frown. "He's the head scientist in Littleroot Town. His name is Professor Birch."

The dark-haired boy nodded. "I believe I've heard of him. I didn't know you were his daughter. I can accompany you to Littleroot and then be on my way if that's what you would prefer."

"Uh, uh," Sapphire said shaking her head. "I'mma come with you." Her eyes narrowed. "I want to see these, 'people you need to talk to.'"

"You don't trust me." It wasn't a question.

Her fangs showed through her frown. "No. So, give me a reason to."

I took a step forward, copying her stance. "I'm going with you guys." Sapphire turned to me sharply, but I just narrowed my eyes at hers. "I'm not going to let you go with him alone."

"I'll go, too," Emerald suddenly said. He walked over to us, wiping his face so that he could properly glare at Amber. "I think a trip home would be good."

Amber glanced at the three of us with wide eyes. Then he smirked just barely. "None of you trust me."

Our trio's glare didn't waver once.

"Alright. You're welcome to come with me."

We nodded at him.

Most of our seniors had begun to trust Amber. I figured it was time for us to try doing the same.

* * *

Me: *finally wakes up* Wha...? What did I miss?

Gardevoir: *sitting with eyes narrowed and arms crossed* She made cupcakes.

Me: O-O ...what?

Ember: *pops in with a tray full of cupcakes* Look! I made it so that they all have little Ruby faces on them! Try one! *stuffs cupcake in my mouth*

Me: *chews in surprise* Um, red velvet?

Ember: *nods frantically* It's elegant and perfect! Just like Ruby!

Gardevoir: *rolls eyes* Fangirls.

Me: *finishes cupcake and shrugs* What can you do about us?

Hello readers! I know, I know! I've been gone longer than I was wanting, but now I'm ready to kick it in gear and get this story moving! For those of you who have already read my series, welcome back! For those who have just found this, I welcome you! If you feel up to it, check out my other stories listed at the top of the chapter and catch up on all that's happened. Either way, I hope you all enjoy! Review and return!


	2. Chapter 2: Hoenn Bound

Me: You know what?

Ember: What?

Me: I just remembered an old movie I used to watch all the time as a kid. It had a faraway land...and a heroic young lad...and a princess...and this weird dog thing...

Gardevoir: *blinks* Well that took a rapid turn. I was beginning to think it was just another fairy tale.

Me: Oh, it is! At least, that's how I remember it!

Ember: *tilts head* What's it called?

Me: The Black Cauldron!

Gardevoir: ...isn't that the movie with the strange pig with magic powers?

Me: ...it's better than it sounds.

Ember: **Disclaimer: Eon does not own Pokemon in any way. Magic or not.**

* * *

Chapter Two: Sapphire

Ruby snored softly beneath his blanket on the floor.

I poked his cheek. "Ruby."

His face didn't change.

I narrowed my eyes. "Ruby."

He didn't budge.

Growling, I leaned over his ear. "Ruby!"

The boy shot up faster than a Ninjask. "What?! What is it?!" His eyes were wide until he took me in. "Sapphire? What are you doing in the guys' room?!"

I stood up from my knees and crossed my arms. "Emerald let me in. Everyone else is already awake."

He glanced around the empty room. The wimp even wore his hat when he slept which was slightly askew on his head. Sensing my eyes, he quickly drew the bottom over his forehead, but I'd already seen the scar that was there.

I angrily kicked his blanket, spinning around. "Just get up already! Emerald and Amber are waitin' for us!"

Ruby scoffed as I stormed for the exit. "There's nothing wrong with a little extra beauty sleep!"

"Sissy!"

I slammed the door behind me and stomped down the hall. My blood was boiling as I smashed the button for the elevator. My mind went back to what I'd seen beneath his hat, and I curled my lip. It was always like this with him. Even after a whole year, he refused to admit what he told me. Every time I tried to confront him about it, he would just dismiss the subject like it was nothing important. Nothing important!

The elevator opened, and I stepped into the empty space. I was just about fed up with his stupid game. I had no idea why he kept acting like nothing had happened, but it was getting on my last nerve. I knew what I'd said, and I knew that I'd meant it.

My face heated up, and I glanced away from my reflection on the walls.

If he wouldn't admit to what he'd said, too, did that mean that he hadn't actually meant it?

The elevator stopped, and I shook my head to get rid of the thought. Ruby wasn't dumb enough to say something he didn't mean...right?

"Sapphire! Did you get Ruby up?"

I looked up sharply to see Emerald standing near the entrance to the food court. Running over, I followed him inside to where Amber sat by himself at a small table.

"Did everybody already leave?" I asked taking a seat across from him.

He nodded as Emerald sat beside me. "They're going to decide what to do next while we visit Hoenn for a few days. They set out for Professor Oak's laboratory."

"We don't have any leads on Team Rocket do we?" Emerald asked.

Amber shook his head reluctantly. "We should have followed them during the evacuation, but we were a bit preoccupied."

Emerald's fist clenched. "I understand."

"So...what do we do now?"

Amber glanced over at me. "What we've already planned. Red and Green will look for clues with the others while we take our trip. Who knows; we might find something while we're in Hoenn."

"When do we leave?" Emerald asked glancing out a window.

"As soon as Ruby is ready." Amber perked up, glancing over our heads. "Speaking of which…"

I turned around as Ruby strutted into the cafeteria. He situated his knit hat a little before stopping at the table.

"Everyone left already?" He asked glancing around.

Amber grimaced and stood up with a nod. "Now it's our turn."

I glanced over at Ruby and Emerald for a second. They returned the same confused look that I had given them. We watched him walk out, and I couldn't help noticing his rigid stance. Why was he so upset?

"Let's go," Emerald said nudging me forward.

The three of us made our way outside and found Amber waiting patiently for us on the sidewalk.

"Do you all have Flying types?" He asked as we approached.

I reached for my Tropius's Pokeball and released him. "We've all ridden on Pilo before."

"Are you sure the three of you will fit?" Amber pulled his doubtful gaze away long enough to grab a Pokeball of his own. "I can take one of you if needed."

There was a brief flash of light, and my entire form froze.

Beside me, Ruby did likewise.

Petting the head of the giant Salamence before him, Amber paused and raised his eyebrows. "Is something wrong?"

I fought to make my mouth work, but the sudden rush of fear had closed off my throat.

Ruby was luckier than me. "You have a…Salamence?"

Amber blinked. "Yes?"

Sighing, Emerald walked over to him. "I guess I'll be the one riding with you."

"Um, alright," Amber said in confusion.

The blonde shook his head as they climbed onto the Salamence's back. "Don't worry. I'll explain on the way."

I couldn't tear my eyes away as the giant Dragon type slowly beat its wings and lifted off. When it was high enough to hover, Ruby realized that Amber was waiting for us and shoved my arm gently.

"Hey," he said pulling me towards Pilo. "Don't look at it. Just get on."

I nodded silently. When my eyes stayed glued to the Salamence, he forcefully turned my head away and climbed on behind me.

"I know it's a bit unnerving," he whispered as Pilo lifted us into the air, "but it's not the same one. You're fine."

The sudden shock from seeing the Salamence wore off instantly at his words. Narrowing my eyes, I glanced back at him. "What do you mean it's not the same one?"

His eyes widened. "I-I don't know what I meant."

"Of course not." Growling, I turned forward again as Pilo flew after Amber and Emerald. "You know, I don't even know why I try anymore."

Ruby bit his lip, but just as I expected, he said nothing.

* * *

"I'm glad you stopped by! I haven't heard from you since you left for that reunion!"

I grinned and gave my father a bear hug as Ruby, Emerald, and Amber all filed out the door behind us. "I know. Sorry, Papa. We've been…real busy lately."

Ruby stopped to turn and wave. "It was nice to see you, Professor Birch!"

My father simply crossed his arms as the wimp followed Emerald and Amber out to the yard. "He still hasn't remembered?"

I grimaced. "Same as ever."

"Such a shame…" Papa shook his head.

"What do you mean?" I asked suspiciously.

He sweat-dropped and waved his hands. "Nothing, nothing! So! It's quite a surprise to learn that the famous Red has a brother!"

I knew he was trying to change the subject, but at the mention of Amber, I decided to let it go. "Yeah...he showed up at that reunion last month."

"I'm sure Red was happy to see him after so long," Papa said with a happy grin.

I sweat-dropped. "Yeah, Senior Red was...shocked."

During our visit with my dad, we'd refrained from telling Papa about Amber's record with Yellow. Of course, we'd arrived late yesterday night and had plenty of time to fill him in about the new Team Rocket and her kidnapping, but it was better to leave Amber out of it for now. That would have just started a whole other conversation that we hadn't stopped to have.

My dad glanced out at the three boys, eyes widening when he saw Amber release his Salamence. "Sapphire-"

"It's okay," I cut him off sharply. "It scared me a bit at first, but I think I'll be fine."

He frowned disapprovingly but nodded anyway. "So where are you all headed now?"

"Amber has some people that he wants to see," I explained watching Ruby observe the Salamence warily. "After that, we're goin' back to Kanto to meet up with everyone."

"Could you do me a favor?" He ran back into the lab behind us, and I waited the few minutes until he came back with a thin metal cylinder. "I need to have this delivered to Captain Stern in Slateport City."

"What is it?" I asked dangling the cylinder from a hand.

"It contains maps," Papa said as I gripped it more firmly. "Captain Stern is working on a new project, and he needed information about the western seas."

"The western seas?" I asked in surprise.

Papa nodded. "I've been doing some research about the underwater wildlife there, and since those waters remain uncharted for the most part, he asked to borrow my research."

"Why would he be interested in the western seas?" I crinkled my brow. "There's nothing out there."

"As far as we know now, yes," Papa said gesturing at the cylinder. "I have yet to find anything, either, but Stern is working for a client who wishes to investigate the area."

I wondered who would be dumb enough to do that. The western seas were so vast and empty that there was rarely anyone who ventured that far from the west coast. I'd tried it once with Walo, but after spending a few days waiting for an island or something to appear, I gave up. There was just nothing out there.

Slipping the cylinder into my bag, I grinned. "I'll get it to him!"

"Thanks, Sapphire," Papa said giving me a kiss on the head.

I started walking toward the boys and turned back. "Papa?"

"Yes?"

A small smile found its way onto my face. "Love ya."

He smiled back. "Love you, too, Sapphire."

Beaming, I pivoted back and began walking to the boys again. However, the closer I got to them, the more my smile began to fall. My eyes landed on Ruby, and I gradually slowed to a stop.

Was it so terrible for me to want to hear those words from him, too?

"Sapphire!"

I glanced up at his vibrant red eyes.

"You coming?"

I clenched my gloved hands, a small cry rising in my throat. It fell upon a silent audience, though, as Ruby pulled away from the other two to walk up to me.

"Don't just stand there, you..." His eyes widened when he got close enough. "Sapph? You okay?"

I nearly smacked myself in the face trying to scrub away the tears forming in my eyes. "I'm just fine, ya sissy!" I shoved past him and released Pilo. "Let's just get going already!"

His eyes narrowed a fraction. "Sapph-"

_"Let's go!" _

By now Emerald and Amber could hear my strangled cry and glanced over as well. When Ruby walked up to my side and tried to get me to look at him, I shoved him away and climbed onto Pilo's back. I refused to help him and stared at my Tropius's leafy back as he struggled to pull himself up behind me. Before he could fully situate himself, I had Pilo head for the skies.

Ruby nearly fell off from the sudden departure. "Good Groudon, Sapphire! Are you trying to kill me?!"

"Would solve one of my problems," I muttered sarcastically below the roaring of the wind.

Pilo came to a hover and waited for Emerald and Amber to catch up on his Salamence. After all, I didn't exactly know which way we were going at the moment. In less than a minute, the two had matched Pilo's altitude, and I sent him after them as Amber chose a direction. Judging by the location of the afternoon sun, I guessed that we were headed due north. Yet, all that was in that direction was...

"Verdanturf town?" I mumbled to myself. "Who would he know there?"

That was all I could wonder as we flew on for a couple hours. When the thick forests finally fell away beneath us, the small prairies and rivers finally came into view. Thanks to my defined vision, I could just make out the small town on the horizon. Eventually it got bigger, but just as we reached the edge of town, Amber turned right and took us east.

The prairies became bigger and more common until we flew toward a small forest. As the grasslands gave way to trees, my confusion continued to grow. I was about to voice it when something suddenly echoed from the forest.

"What is that?" Ruby asked. "It's faint, but I think I hear something."

My trained ears were better than his, so I could hear exactly what he was suspicious of. "It sounds like..."

Amber's Salamence began to descend then, and the sound became loud enough for even Ruby. "...a flute."

The treetops interfered with our vision but not our ears. The music grew louder the closer to the ground we got. It was a soft tune, the single melody shifting between highs and lows so that it matched that of the leaves on the trees. Amber's Salamence slowed down enough that we were able to catch up and land at the same time. He and I returned our Flying types the moment the four us were on our feet. Emerald was glancing around with squinted eyes, trying to locate the source of the music, and almost got left behind as Ruby and I followed Amber through the trees.

The sound of the flute gradually grew louder until the path we'd been following suddenly opened up into a clearing. I blinked at the introduction of a large house set between the trees across the clearing. It looked to be at least three stories high with long windows and a porch that wrapped around the first level. Eyes flying to the roof, I finally found the the source of the music.

There was girl, long wavy hair glowing an orchid purple in the dappled sunlight. She lay comfortably in the hammock created from the arms of a Pokemon that I didn't recognize at first. Then I remembered it from the trip to Sinnoh with Platinum and her guy friends. It was called a Drifblim. The girl was floating above the roof in its arms, completely oblivious to the rest of the world as she played the soft tune on the flute in her hands.

Taking a deep breath, Amber stepped forward. "Jasmine!"

The music came to an abrupt stop. The girl's eyes shot open, and from behind the thin black glasses she wore, they flashed bright red. The shock on her face was evident as she leaned over the Drifblim's arms and stared down at us.

"Driffy, down," she whispered frantically to the Pokemon. "Down, down!"

Emerald, Ruby, and I stepped close to each other as Amber stood alone watching the girl descend to the front porch. When she was close enough, she leaped from the Drifblim and sprinted up to him. He waited, deathly still, until she stopped in front of him, panting slightly.

"Amber?" The violette asked sharply.

He nodded. "It's me."

At that, the girl slapped him straight across the face.

Ruby gasped lightly, and my eyes widened.

As Amber recovered from the blow, she took his face in her hands. "Where have you been?! Why didn't you _call_ us?! Do you have any idea how worried we've been?!"

Even though he was a bit taller than her, Amber made no motion to remove her hands. "I'm sorry, Jaz."

The disbelief and worry etched into her face intensified as he looked down. Then her eyes flickered past him and locked onto us. Gently pushing Amber aside, she walked over. "You three. You're Pokedex Holders."

Emerald snapped his jaw shut which had slackened from watching the slap. "Yes?"

The girl looked at him. "Emerald." Then Ruby. "Gym Leader Norman's son, Ruby." Then me. "And Professor Birch's daughter, Sapphire. I've seen you three on the television for saving Hoenn and, just recently, the Battle Frontier."

"And might we ask who you are?" Emerald glanced at her warily.

The girl's red eyes widened, and she suddenly grasped his shoulders. "Wow, such a vivid green. I don't think I've seen one quite like this before!"

Emerald's jaw dropped again, and he pulled away. "What are you doing?!"

Amber, who had just turned around, face-palmed. "Jaz..."

This girl, Jasmine, then turned to Ruby and did the same as she had done to Emerald. "And you! Your blue is so beautiful!"

Clenching my teeth, I tore her hands away and stood protectively in front of Ruby. This chick was starting to freak me out. "Cut that out!"

The violette blinked, zoning her eyes in on me. "And what a fiery red we have here..."

Confused, I growled and took a step forward. "Look! I don't know what yer talkin' about, but-!"

My voice was quickly cut off by a shearing noise. No one moved as a blade was suddenly held up to my throat.

"Don't touch her."

I gulped. My throat beat against the edge pressed to it, and my eyes followed it to the source, a Pokemon I couldn't identify. It had a red and black armored face with a giant yellow and silver ax protruding from its head. The blade was attached to its metallic arm which seemed ready to strike at any moment.

I frantically glanced up as someone approached from the direction of the house. It was a boy. He had shaggy black hair that hung past his ears and rested on his shoulders. The tips were starkly different, shimmering golden in the sunlight unlike the rest of his dark hair. Like Jasmine, his eyes were a glittering red, but they were lethal compared to her curious ones.

As he walked towards us, Amber held the bridge of his nose with a hand. "Hey, Jet."

The boy paused at the flat greeting. "Amber?" He stared at the boy briefly before narrowing his eyes at me, Ruby, and Emerald. "Wait...the Hoenn Pokedex Holders? What are you guys doing with Amber?"

I noted the odd way he said that, but the golden orange-eyed boy jumped in before I could say anything. "They're just accompanying me."

Jet's narrowed eyes didn't leave us as he nodded slightly. "That's enough, Bish."

The Pokemon holding the blade to my throat instantly backed down and retreated to Jet's side. Ruby dashed around in front of me to make sure I was alright, but I just shoved him off as Jet and Jasmine crowded around Amber.

"You do realize how sudden this is?" The dark-haired boy said lowly.

Jasmine crossed her arms. "We haven't heard from you since _Christmas."_

Amber sighed. "I know. I'm sorry. Things have gotten messy, and I'll explain it all."

"So, what did you come here for?" Jet asked seriously. "Not that we're unhappy to see you, but obviously you seem to have a reason."

"Yes," Amber nodded solemnly. "There's something that I, uh, need to tell you guys."

"What is it?" Jasmine blinked curiously.

The wind suddenly picked up then. The six of us shielded ourselves against it and glanced up as a Pokemon burst through the treetops. It, too, was a foreign one that I didn't know. It was obviously a Flying type with its black and silver feathers, and a pink appendage crested over its head like a set of ribbons. The underside was speckled with green which became much more apparent as it descended and landed not far from us. There was yet another unfamiliar person on its back, this one a boy like Jet.

His bushy brown hair burst forth from a red Pokeball visor that was the same shade as his eyes. He wore a short-sleeved blue zip-up jacket and white cargo shorts. He looked quite like a sports enthusiast to be honest. Squinting my eyes, I glanced at Ruby in surprise when I realized that he appeared to be about our age.

"Excuse me," the boy said walking over to Amber. "Are you Amber Aka?"

Red's brother narrowed his eyes. "Yes."

The strange brunette reached over his bag into a pocket to pull out a badge. "I am Agent Black 2 of the International Police."

Amber's eyes widened out. "The police? I've never had a run-in with them in my life." He sweat-dropped. "I kind of made it a point not to."

"I'm not here to take you in or anything," the boy said with a serious expression. "I've simply come to ask you a few questions concerning my colleague, Agent Black 1."

"I don't know any 'Agent Black 1'," Amber said in confusion.

"No, you wouldn't recognize the name," the brunette admitted, "but you do know her."

Amber paused. "Her?"

The boy nodded. "My partner's name is Melany. Melany Wataru."

* * *

Me: *lays back as the credits roll by* Ah, that was a nice trip down memory lane...

Gardevoir: *facepalm* I was right. There WAS a strange pig with magic powers.

Ember: Not to mention, there was that one obsessive witch.

Gardevoir: *looks over* You mean the big-chested one?

Ember: *nod* Don't you think she was kind of inappropriate? I mean, this IS a Disney movie.

Me: Stop it, guys! If you want to dis my childhood, save it for someone who cares!

Ember & Gardevoir: ... *look at each other* Yeah, it was really weird.

Me: I didn't mean yourselves!

What's up, readers? I've updated within a week this time, so I'd say that shows a little more promise with my updates! *sweatdrop* In all honesty, this would've been up sooner, but I've had a lot going on lately. My apologies! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! I'm finally beginning to delve more into Melany's past, but I'm not sure it'll be quite what everyone expected ^^ Thanks for reading! Review and return!


	3. Chapter 3: What Happened Before

Me: ...

Ember: ...

Gardevoir: ...so...

Me: ...so.

Ember: *sweatdrop* You didn't prepare a banter for this chapter, did you?

Me: *sigh* No...

Gardevoir: *facepalm* No point wasting time then. **Disclaimer: Right to the point. Eon doesn't own Pokemon in any way. End of story.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Ruby

"Would you like any tea?" Jasmine asked setting down a tray.

Agent Black 2 shook his head. "No, thank you. I won't be here long."

The seven of us had migrated into the large house, which we'd come to find belonged to Jasmine and Jet's father. Sunlight was streaming in through the windows behind where the agent stood alone. Emerald, too, was by himself in a chair while Sapphire and I occupied the love seat across from him. In the middle was a couch, and Jasmine took a seat between Jet and Amber who were already perched there.

"So," she said pouring a few cups of tea. "You said you had some questions for Amber?"

"Yes." The brunette at the window turned around. "I'm sure most of you are aware, but I will repeat it anyway for those of you who do not." He glanced at Jet and Jasmine. "My partner, Agent Black 1, has been deemed missing in action."

The violette's eyes widened, but Jet's simply narrowed.

"At approximately an hour before midnight last Monday, there was an event in the southeast sector of the Whirl Islands in Johto." Black 2 began pacing then. "The entirety of the western half of the island was destroyed by a bomb of sorts. My partner was last known to have been investigating the area, and no trace of her was found in the remnants of the blast."

"Melany's...dead?" Jasmine asked warily.

"Missing," the agent corrected her. "As we were not able to retrieve her body, there is no proof to say whether she is dead or alive."

"She's dead."

All eyes turned on Amber.

He glared at Black 2. "I know she's dead. My Gardevoir told me so."

Jet and Jasmine watched quietly as the agent came to a stop and glared back. "How is that any proof?"

"She specifically said Melany's name when she told me _good-bye_," Amber said, bitterly accenting the farewell.

The brunette waved a hand. "Irrelevant. Your Gardevoir was most likely delusional from the power drainage. Besides, we were also unable to find her body in the wreckage."

Amber narrowed his eyes. "How did you know that Sam was getting her powers drained?"

Black 2 did the same. "I told you. Melany's my partner. She tells me everything."

"That's another thing," Amber shook his head. "Melany couldn't possibly be a member of the international police. She's an admin for Team Rocket!"

"Is she? Or maybe that's what she wanted you to think."

Amber paused. "What?"

The agent looked at Emerald then Sapphire and me. "I take it these three don't know what happened a year ago? Actually, I would guess none of the Pokedex Holders do."

"Just us three," Amber nodded at Jet and Jasmine.

"Then I don't suppose you would mind if I told them?" Black 2 raised an eyebrow. "I'm sure by now they deserve to know."

"Know what?" Sapphire frowned leaning forward.

The policeman glanced at her. "The reason why Amber joined Team Rocket in the first place."

"What do you mean?" Emerald raised an eyebrow. "He did it to get his Gardevoir back, right?"

I turned to Amber who was staring straight at Black 2. "You want to tell them...everything?"

The agent nodded. "I've already sent another of my colleagues to ask your brother a few questions as well, and I'm sure they'll want to know the whole story, too."

Amber gently shook his head. "Uh, sure then. Go ahead."

The slight falter in his voice attracted Sapphire's eyes. She blinked in surprise as he turned away. "Amber...?"

Black 2 gestured at us to get up. "Jet, Jasmine. I'll take them out."

The two nodded, Jasmine resting a hand on Amber's arm. "Thank you."

Emerald tried to watch them over his shoulder as the agent ushered us outside. "What was that all about?"

"Losing a loved one is hard." The agent shut the door behind him. "I mean, would you enjoy standing there listening to me talk about how Crystal died?"

Emerald's fist clenched, but my brow crinkled. "So you're saying that she actually is dead?"

Black 2 didn't answer at first. "I was only making an analogy."

"Ta what?" Sapphire intervened with an air of frustration. I sighed. Sometimes patience, along with many other words, didn't seem to be a part of her dictionary.

"To Jade Erabareshi."

I blinked. "Who?"

The agent started walking towards the forest. "The young woman who saved Amber's life last summer."

Emerald and Sapphire froze like I did. The three of us glanced at each other before following the brunette. I had a rather obvious feeling that it was story time.

"Now, mind you, what I'm about to tell you is from Melany's perspective," Black 2 said weaving through the trees. "I know it's nearly impossible for you to realize that she's actually a part of the international police, but everything I'm saying is true."

"How are we supposed to know that? The police can lie," Sapphire pointed out skeptically.

"Yes, but it's usually only when they need something." He glanced back at us. "What could I possibly gain from lying about an 'enemy'?"

I thought a moment. "Perhaps it would be more believable if you explained why she posed as a Team Rocket admin in the first place?"

The agent sighed. "All in due time. Now, if you're all done...?"

Sapphire and I nodded. Black 2 nodded back and continued his walk. "Last summer, a request was sent to the International Police Station in Sinnoh. It was sent by the family of Jade, Jet, Jasmine, and Jasper Erabareshi."

"Wait, so you're saying Jet and Jasmine are this Jade's siblings?" Emerald asked.

Black 2 nodded. "Jasper is their father. They requested that an agent be sent for protection during the upcoming summer. Melany had known them long since before that request, so she volunteered herself for the mission."

"How did she know them?" Emerald asked curiously.

"It's classified," Black 2 said flatly.

The blonde frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"That means, it's information that I am not allowed nor obligated to tell you." Sunshine reflected off the brunette's hair as he broke the tree line and stepped out of the forest. "I came here only to acquire information from Amber. Be grateful I'm telling you even this much."

Emerald crossed his arms, but Sapphire knocked his shoulder lightly to calm him down. "Sorry. Continue."

The agent nodded and set off down the route we had just entered. "Back to Melany. She took up the mission and came out here to provide protection for the Erabareshi family."

I stepped over a small rock. "What did they need protection for?"

"An egg."

Sapphire's eyes bulged. "A-an egg? That's it?"

The agent nodded slightly. "The egg of Amber's Gardevoir, Samantha."

"That doesn't make any sense." This was starting to confuse me. "Why would...Jade, was it? Why would Jade have the egg of Amber's Pokemon?"

"Because technically, it isn't his."

I paused. "What do you mean?"

Black 2 stopped and waited for us to catch up. When we came up to his sides, he glanced up at the sky. "Jade was a Psychic type expert. Her family runs the Daycare Center outside of Mauville City, and they have a long line of successful breeders. She and her siblings all follow this lineage." The wind picked up, and he closed his eyes against it. "Last spring, she bred an egg under a certain set of conditions. As a result, the Pokemon that would hatch was to have abilities far beyond that which it should have. It's power, if raised and trained correctly, would approach that of even a legendary."

Sapphire gasped sharply. "Is that even possible?!"

"Jade's family is a...unique...group of breeders," Black 2 said cautiously. "No one at the station had a doubt about her prediction."

I narrowed my eyes at the mystery in his words. He made it seem as though there was more to this family than first met the eye.

"As such, Melany departed for Hoenn to carry out the mission. She had been here only a few weeks when someone unexpected showed up."

"Who?" I asked.

Black 2 started walking again. "Amber."

We followed after him.

"Jade found him during a storm one night and gave him shelter. Everyone was initially wary of him, seeing as how they'd already requested Melany, but the longer Amber stayed, the more he opened up. It didn't take long for Melany to figure out that he was no threat.

"He stayed with them for a while over the summer. They all grew very fond of each other. Even Melany." The agent's eye twitched. "Who I specifically told not to get close to him."

Our group stopped briefly as Sapphire saw something in the distance. She sprinted over to the forest, and I turned to the agent as she helped a Wurmple down from a tree. "Why not?"

"He was an innocent bystander," the boy explained watching Sapphire gently set the Pokemon down. "There was no reason to get him involved."

"But he did," Sapphire called out on her run back. "Didn't he?"

Black 2 nodded reluctantly. "All of them ignored my warning, and eventually he was told of the egg. However, he was never informed of Melany's status as an officer. That's probably why he so readily believed that she had been a member of Team Rocket all along." His red eyes creased some. "On July second of last year, the reason for Jade's request finally made itself present."

Sapphire blinked as she finally returned to us. "Well, hey, that's when Ruby ran 'way from home."

"Yes, it would've been about the same time that your journey began," Black 2 nodded. "All of this happened before the clash of Groudon and Kyogre."

"So what was her reason?" Emerald said getting the topic back on track.

"Jade had wanted protection from people who would try to steal her egg for the insurmountable power it would become." The agent began walking again. "Her worries were proven that night by Team Rocket."

A building came up in the short distance ahead, and Black 2 led us straight towards it. He headed for the front door which was locked when he tried to turn the handle. Unperturbed, he made his way down the white picket fence running along either side of the building. He passed a sign that said, "Daycare" in a cute handwritten style and came to a stop. There was a small latched door which he pulled open effortlessly to let us in.

Sapphire eyed all of the Pokemon roaming free across the pasture. "That's not much security. Aren't they worried about someone sneakin' in and stealin' these little guys?"

Black 2 shut the door after Emerald. "Believe me, they don't have any problems with security here."

We waited for him to elaborate, but he didn't. Instead he walked down a path through the meadow. We passed by a stable, a small pond, and other areas used for raising Pokemon, but the agent didn't stop at any of them. He took us to a forest that lay beyond the property and headed inside.

"That night, Team Rocket came for Jade's egg."

I glanced ahead at him as he dodged a branch.

"We're still not sure how they found out about it, but they came all the same." Sticks crunched under the agent's firm feet. "Jade and her siblings used a decoy egg in an attempt to lead them away while Amber was sent off with the real one. Melany did her duty and fought to keep Team Rocket from getting close, but they proved to be too much for her. They defeated her and figured out the decoy egg. Fortunately, Amber had already escaped by then. However..."

He walked through the trees into a clearing. "Jade wasn't so lucky."

We stepped in after him, and everything seemed to freeze for a second. This clearing wasn't nearly as big as the one containing Jet and Jasmine's house, but it was much more beautiful. It was bursting with flowers of different shades of red, purple, and pink in an elegantly styled garden. At the center of the action was a small wooden swing, pristine white and perfect for two. An engraved stone sat next to it, and Black 2 halted us just before it.

"When Team Rocket figured out that the second egg was a decoy, they cornered her here. They knew the real egg was long gone by then, so they tried to make her tell them where it was. Jade wasn't a weak soul, though; she refused to give away Amber's location. Eventually, they got fed up and threatened her life." He pointed to a small spot in the grass that looked as though it were having trouble growing. "Even with her life on the line, Jade wouldn't tell them."

Emerald's eyes widened in horror. "Y-you don't mean..."

"Yes," Black 2 grimaced. "They killed her."

I gulped slightly, looking back at the patch of grass.

"It was obvious that she tried to put up a fight, but she lost the battle." He squinted his eyes at the swaying trees. "Afterwards, we came to investigate the scene and discovered that they'd used a Hyper Beam. The blow had been so powerful that there was nothing left of her."

Sapphire covered her mouth with a hand. "I can't believe they'd actually do something like that..."

I grabbed her arm gently for support as Black 2 turned to us. "Amber disappeared with the egg that night, and no one had any idea where he had gone. He's smart; he knew he couldn't come back to the Daycare in case Team Rocket was lurking nearby. Jade's family tried to get a hold of him over his Pokegear, but there was never an answer. He had just...vanished."

"So what did you do?" I asked as Sapphire's shock melted away.

"Melany came up with an idea." The agent clenched his fist slightly. "She said she would infiltrate the ranks of Team Rocket. This had three positive points. First, she could figure out what exactly the organization wanted the egg for in the first place. Second, since Team Rocket was so adamant about getting Amber, there was a better chance of finding him if she used their resources. Third, if they did find Amber and get their hands on the egg, she could get it back and send it to the station in Sinnoh for immediate protection."

"Is that true?"

The four of us whipped around to find Amber standing there with Jasmine and Jet behind him. Red's twin was tense, eyes narrowed as he bit his lip.

Black 2 didn't change his stoic expression. "Every word."

Amber glanced down, his bangs shrouding his face. "Then...why? Why would she blackmail me like she did? Why was she so intent on getting Yellow?"

The agent narrowed his eyes a fraction. "Because the third part of that plan never happened."

Amber didn't move. "What?"

Black 2 sighed quietly. "By the time she finally found you, the egg had already hatched, and you had already trained the baby Ralts into a Gardevoir. Obviously she could still have rescued and sent it to the station which is why she pretended to kidnap it. She 'blackmailed' you into working with her so that she could keep you close and safe."

"She promised me that I'd get Sam back if I kidnapped Yellow," Amber muttered. "How does that keep me safe?"

"Amber," Black 2 said lowly, "do you have any idea what could have happened to you if she hadn't done that? Team Rocket could have imprisoned you or, worse, just killed you as soon as they got the Gardevoir. Melany had to convince the leader to let her use you as a grunt so you wouldn't get hurt."

"...she was...looking out for me?"

The agent nodded. "You have to realize, she had a reputation to uphold at the time. She'd already risen to second in command when they found you, and if they doubted her for even a second, her cover would have been blown. She purposefully didn't tell you anything so that you _would _hate her. She had to make them all believe that you were against her, against them, in order to keep their trust. If she hadn't done that, she never would have found out why they needed the Gardevoir's and Yellow's powers."

Amber whipped his gaze up. "She figured it out? All she ever told me was that they were planning a Project 1 and Project 2."

"Not completely," the agent shook his head. "All she was able to divulge to us was a little information on Project 1. Most of the data was hidden in a secure location that she had trouble getting into."

"What did she find?" Amber asked quickly.

"Team Rocket was trying to create its own Master Ball," Black 2 explained calmly. "There are only a select few of them in the entire world, and it's no easy matter trying to get one. So, they sought to make their own. However, the workings of a Master Ball are very complex, and I highly doubt that they knew how exactly to make one."

Amber tilted his head. "So what were they doing then?"

"The way Melany explained it to me, they were attempting to make a homemade version. They were using natural materials, and it was assumed that they needed a natural power source in order for it to work."

Amber's eyes widened. "Yellow and Sam."

"Yes," Black 2 said with a shrug, "but we have no knowledge on how exactly they used their powers. Melany couldn't find anything out about that, but she knew they were using it to make this Master Ball."

Sapphire piped in then. "What would they need a Master Ball for? That seems like a lot of hassle for a dumb Pokeball."

The agent turned to her with a frown. "I don't think you quite understand. If they were able to correctly create their own Master Ball, then they could capture _any_ Pokemon. Even the great Groudon if they wished."

"Oh," she said in surprise.

Black 2 crossed his arms. "Melany found no information about what exactly they wanted to catch with it, but she knew if it was Team Rocket, then it couldn't be good. Once she realized this, she began thinking of a plan to destroy it from within the organization." He turned to Amber. "She came up with one not long after they caught you. The powers that they were draining from your Gardevoir and Yellow were being stored until the last part for the Master Ball arrived. Melany discovered that this was essentially the activation piece; they couldn't actually create the Pokeball until it was applied."

"That was why she and Drake were at the lighthouse," I said putting two and two together.

The agent nodded. "The component they needed was to be transferred that night in order to complete Project 1, the creation of their Master Ball. Knowing this, Melany waited until that night to execute her plan. Since there was a certain amount of power Team Rocket required for the project, she thought that a tip in the power might cause some trouble."

"A tip in the power?" Emerald asked confused.

"At the moment of the activation piece's installation, all of the energy Team Rocket had been collecting was supposed to begin creating the Master Ball. It already had a physical form, but Melany assumed that the energy would give it its power. Because of this, she believed if she added a surplus of energy to that already being used-"

"The Master Ball would overload and destroy itself," Amber nodded in understanding.

Black 2 frowned slightly at the interruption. "That was the plan. She was going to combine her abilities with those of your Gardevoir's in order to overpower it."

"Abilities?" I raised an eyebrow. "What abilities?"

"Melany has powers like Yellow," Amber answered for him.

Sapphire perked up. "She does?!"

Red's twin nodded. "I apologize for never telling you guys. I'm not sure whether or not she came from the Viridian Forest like Yellow, but her powers are very similar. The leader of Team Rocket, or as Melany called him, Master, didn't find out about them until after she'd been promoted to second in command. Or so she told me."

"Why didn't they just use _her_ powers then?" Sapphire glanced down in thought. "Wouldn't that make more sense?"

"I wondered the same thing," Amber admitted, "but Melany said he was set on Yellow. For what reason, though, she never told me."

"Nor I," Black 2 said regaining his place in the conversation, "but she made sure to take care of Yellow so that the energy drainage wouldn't kill her. She kept you Pokedex Holders from rescuing her until Team Rocket had the energy they needed for the Master Ball from her. That way, it wouldn't take much of her own powers to overload it."

"Wait a minute." Amber bit his lip. "Is that what the explosion that night was from? Sam and Melany destroying Project 1?"

"That's what we don't know," Black 2 said uncertainly. "I came that night to pick her and the Gardevoir up once they were done. We were going to report back to the station then come find the rest of you and check on Yellow's condition. But..."

Amber's tooth drew blood. "But what?"

"That explosion was...different...than what Melany told me was supposed to happen." The agent ran a hand over his face. "She said it would most likely malfunction and self-destruct, but not to that extent."

"Something went wrong," Amber realized in horror.

"That was the initial thought," Black 2 said quietly. "We never found their bodies in the wreckage. However, we never found the Master Ball or anything that could be considered its remains either. Any Team Rocket member had already evacuated the area, and there was nothing left of the HQ but the explosion's aftermath."

Sapphire's jaw dropped. "So...we don't know _anything_?"

The agent shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I've been ordered to continue investigating, but nothing will be clear until we find either Team Rocket or Melany."

"You won't find Melany," Amber said lowly. "I told you. She and Sam are dead."

Beside him, Jasmine finally spoke up. "Amber-"

"Don't even, Jaz!" He snapped harshly. Black 2's face was impassive as the older boy walked up to him. "I don't care what you say. Sam told me good-bye. She would never have done that if they were going to get out alive."

"Okay, let's assume that they are indeed deceased then." The agent's eyes narrowed. "That means our mission now is to find out whether they managed to destroy the Master Ball or if their lives were lost for nothing."

After a moment, Amber nodded. It was so slight that I doubt I would've seen it if he weren't just a few feet away. Black 2 nodded back and stepped around him to approach Jet and Jasmine.

"I think I'll ask him my questions when he's a bit more..." The brunette glanced back at Amber. "Stable."

The siblings nodded, and I turned as Emerald slowly made his way over to Sapphire and me. The three of us watched Amber take a step forward and collapse into the small white swing. The gold and silver yin yang around his neck glinted in the sunlight, and I was surprised to see him pull another just like it out of his pocket. As the swing swayed back and forth, it reflected the light just like the other one. He also took out his black Pokegear and placed the two items in his lap.

"So. I doubted Melany for nothing, and now she's gone." He laughed humorlessly. "Looks like I wasn't able to protect Sam either like I promised."

Sapphire frowned sorrowfully as the boy bowed his head, placing a hand on the stone next to the swing.

"Sorry, Jade."

* * *

Me: ...

Ember & Gardevoir: *get fed up and prepare to go shopping*

Me: W-Wait! Um... *thinks* We can...discuss the views on recent political debates!

*DOOR SLAMS*

Me: T T.T T

Sorry guys! Not much banter for today (I was more focused on getting this chapter out *sweatdrop*), but I figured at this point you all were wanting some backstory. ^^ Hopefully that will tide you over for now. Until next time; thanks for reading! Review and return!


	4. Chapter 4: The Wheels Begin to Turn

Me: *spinning on a death wheel* IS THIS REALLY NECESSARY?!

Gardevoir: *throwing knives* Who's the one who hasn't updated in nearly a month?

Me: I DON'T THINK THAT CALLS FOR KNIVES AND WHEELS OF DEATH!

Ember: *flicking through magazine* You should've updated sooner.

Me: Shouldn't you be on my side?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND!

Ember: **Disclaimer: Eon doesn't own Pokemon. And I daresay she has no control over her voice level anymore either.**

* * *

Chapter Four: Diamond

Red had been in that room for a solid hour now.

As for the rest of us, we waited patiently in the lounge of Professor Oak's laboratory. Nobody paid the time any mind; we were all still trying to wrap our heads around the information that we'd just learned.

"I had not been expecting to see Looker today," Platinum said.

I sat next to her in the group of chairs, Pearl on her other side. "If I remember right, he's the one who gave us Manaphy's egg."

She nodded. "I have not seen him since."

"Do you think what he said was...true?" Pearl asked uncertainly.

"It is a dubious exposition on behalf of Melany," Platinum said. She bit her lip gently. "However, if it is from Looker, then it may be true after all."

I tilted my head toward her. "He may be...different...but I don't think he would lie about something like this."

"Well, she's definitely strong enough to be an agent!" Pearl crossed his arms pouting. "She almost beat us in a three versus three battle all by herself!"

"But not strong enough to get out of Team Rocket's headquarters in time," I said quietly.

"We do not know that for sure," Platinum cut in. "Amber's words should not be forgotten, but we must also consider what Looker has told us. She could very well just be missing."

Pearl glanced down. "Which could also mean that Crystal is alive, too."

That had been a hard thing for Gold to hear. Silver, as well. The two had just started to accept the fact that their best friend was dead when this little bit of hope was thrown at them. As soon as Looker had finished explaining the situation to everyone, those two had gone out to take a walk. They hadn't come back since.

My belly rumbled suddenly. I glanced at it mournfully. Obviously this was not the time to be thinking about food, but the rumbles begged to differ. I would have gone to search for a snack, but after accidentally waking Green up in the middle of the night the previous evening...I shuddered. Never again.

The front door shut then, and I perked up as Black and White walked in loaded with grocery bags. The girl stopped in surprise when she saw us. "You're still waiting?"

Pearl nodded. "Looker is still asking Senior Red questions."

Black shook his head and reached into one of the bags on his arms. "Here, Diamond. I got those rice balls you asked for."

The bag was open just as soon as it was placed in my hands. _"Thank you."_

He chuckled slightly at the desperation in my voice. "Green's in the back room you know. You could have just gotten something from the fridge."

I bit into one of the rice balls. "I wasn't going to risk it."

Black snickered a little more before he and White went to put the food away. As soon as they had gone, the door to Looker's interrogation room opened, and he walked out with Red close behind.

"I'm sorry I couldn't answer much," the dark-haired boy apologized.

"You did what you could," Looker said glancing at his watch. "I must be off now. My colleague is probably about done speaking with your brother and the Erabareshi siblings. We need to meet up before he continues with this investigation."

"You mean Amber's with...Jade's family?" Red asked, trying to remember what Looker had explained earlier. The agent nodded, and so did Red. "So that's who he went to see."

Platinum rose and went to see Looker off. Pearl accompanied her, and I stayed behind with Red. "So, what did he ask you about?"

"Just simple things," he shrugged. "If I'd seen Melany or interacted with her before the explosion. But I hadn't, so I really didn't have much to tell him."

I glanced at him curiously. "Do you think she was an agent, Senior Red?"

He chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well, with the police backing it up, I find it hard to think that she's not."

Sighing, I held a hand to my head. "Things just keep getting more and more complicated."

Red lay a hand on my shoulder and smiled sympathetically. "Come on. Let's go see if Green and Blue have found anything yet."

I nodded and followed him through the lab to the back room. "It's a bit disheartening how little information we have to go off of."

Red nodded. "Even so, those two are the smartest people I know. They'll come up with something."

"We have nothing!"

Red and I froze, wide-eyed after opening the door to the back room. Blue was perched on a steel tables. One of her hands held her head, and she looked positively upset.

"Don't say that," Green muttered from where he sat at the computer. "We just have to keep looking."

"For what?" She asked incredulously. "We can't just go off of ideas and theories! We need to find an actual clue!"

"And I'm trying," he answered coldly.

Blue sighed. "I know. I just..." She lifted her head up, finally sensing our presence. "Oh, hey, guys! Sorry, but we don't have anything new."

"That's okay," Red said. He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "Can we, uh, help somehow?"

The brunette shook her head. "Greeny's basically claimed the computer, and I'm not sure what else the rest of us could do."

"We could...check out the wreckage," I suggested nervously. It was the most obvious option.

"Gold already did, remember?" She leaned back on the table. "He didn't really find much. The entire place went up in the flames." A grumble suddenly resonated from her stomach, and she glanced down at it. "I suppose it_ is_ almost supper time."

I was getting ready to offer her one of my few remaining rice balls when Silver suddenly stuck his head through the doorway. "There you guys are."

I moved aside to let him in, and Gold appeared at his heels. His features were still rigid even after taking his walk. To be honest, he seemed more like Silver than himself.

"How's it going?" The redhead asked as the two boys walked over to Blue.

"No luck so far," she admitted.

Silver nodded, but Gold didn't respond. The raven-haired boy simply pulled his bag over his head and placed it on the steel table. "Here. I went and bought some local cookies for everyone." As he retrieved a small box, two crumpled papers fell out onto the table. Gold set the box down. Reaching for a paper, his eyes widened. "I forgot I even had these."

Blue perked an eyebrow. "What are they?"

Silver leaned over curiously. "They look like blueprints."

Blue's eyes lit up, and she snatched the paper from Gold. "This looks like the Masterball that agent described to us. Where did you get these?"

"I took them when we went to the Ilex complex," Gold replied as she picked up the other paper. "But they're useless at this point."

"No," she murmured. Her eyes flickered across the paper. "We might actually have a clue here."

Gold looked confused. "How?"

"These are plans." Blue's eyes flashed as she looked up. "For _Project 2._"

Sapphire

"I've decided to join you."

Amber glanced down from his Salamence's back. "I thought you were supposed to meet up with your agent friend to exchange information."

"I can message him what I've found out," Black 2 said releasing his Flying type. I had learned yesterday that it was called an Unfezant. "I think it's more important to continue my investigation right now, and we'll find out more if we work together."

Amber didn't respond. Instead, he turned to Jet and Jasmine who were standing on the porch to their house. "What about you guys?"

"We have to stay and watch over the Daycare," Jasmine smiled uneasily. "We couldn't just leave it all to Daddy."

Jet gestured a hand at the treetops. "You guys get going. We'll be here if you need a place to stay again."

"Thanks," Amber nodded, not meeting their eyes.

"Hey," Jet said lowly. "Be careful."

Red's twin sighed. "I know."

Emerald waved at the siblings as he climbed on behind him. "It was nice to meet you guys."

"And you," Jet replied.

"Ah," Jasmine sighed dreamily. "Just look at that green, though..."

Emerald frowned nervously and shifted until he was hidden behind Amber. "She's...weird."

The dark-haired boy sweat-dropped. "I know."

I turned away from him as Ruby climbed onto Pilo behind me. A breeze blew gently, irritating the small cut on my neck.

Ruby saw me wince. "Is that still bothering you?"

"Barely," I rolled my eyes. "It's about as annoying as a paper cut."

He pulled himself up onto Pilo with a soft grunt. "I think Jet went a bit too far with his...Bisharp I believe it was."

"He was just trying to protect his sister," I said quietly. "After all, he's already lost one."

Ruby glanced away. "Right."

I gave Jet and Jasmine another look before patting Pilo's back. As different as they were, those two seemed like nice people. I wondered if Jade had been like them.

Pilo stole my thoughts as he lifted off. I was the one leading the pack today. Black 2 had suggested that we evaluate the crime scene one last time which we could do on the way back to Pallet Town. Before that, though, I still had to deliver Papa's maps to Captain Stern in Slateport City.

It only took us maybe an hour or two to reach the seaside town. Early afternoon was already rolling in when we landed at the entrance to the Pokemon Center. The Contest Tent was just down the road, and it took me a minute of coaxing to stop Ruby from going after it. I had to admit; it _had _been a while since he entered a contest. But now wasn't the time for that.

"_Come on,_" I muttered dragging him along. "You can enter a contest later. We gotta get to the shipyard."

Kids and families alike were flooding the streets as we walked down town. They were all bound for beach, colorful swimsuits and surfboards reflecting the bright sunlight. Those people sure looked like they were enjoying their summer; I wished I could say the same.

When we arrived at the shipyard, the others stayed outside while Ruby and I went to find Captain Stern. It didn't take too long; most of the workers' attention was focused on the project on the first floor, and Mr. Stern was right in the middle of it.

"We need to adjust the mast by five degrees," he called out to some lackeys, observing the front of the boat they were constructing.

"Um, Mr. Stern?" I called out from the top floor.

He glanced up through the giant opening that should have been a ceiling and waved us down. "I'm sorry, but I can't take any orders right now. We're busy putting the finishing touches on this ship."

"No," I said taking the steps two at a time. Ruby was more graceful about it, gently approaching the bottom when I had already ran up to Mr. Stern. "My name's Sapphire Birch. I'm here to deliver some maps from my papa."

"Oh!" The captain exclaimed. He finally looked away from the boat as I showed him the silver canister. "The professor's daughter! He told me you would be coming by soon. Thank you for dropping these off."

I nodded, glancing at the ship warily. "So somebody's really gonna try to navigate the eastern seas?"

"That's what they said." The older man stroked his mustache. "I'm not sure about it, though."

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked as he walked over.

Mr. Stern frowned. "Well, the guy doesn't exactly look like the seafaring type. If you ask me, he looks more like a model."

Ruby's eyes lit up. "A model?"

"At least he dresses like one," the captain shrugged. "But who am I to judge! If he wants to pay for a new boat and actually try to tackle those waters, then fine by me. I'll wish him the best of luck."

I pointed at the maps. "Then those are for that person?"

Mr. Stern nodded. "He didn't want to go in blind, and I don't blame him. I'll get a hold of your father later to let him know they arrived."

I nodded slowly in return. "Thank you."

"No, thank you," he chuckled gently.

This mystery sailor had my curiosity breaking the charts, but I reluctantly waved good-bye and left anyway.

"I wonder who would go to all this trouble for the eastern seas," Ruby pondered as we walked back outside.

"Me, too," I murmured lowly.

"Hey, guys!" Emerald called out, cutting off our conversation. We glanced up to see him along with Amber and Black 2 waiting for us on the other side of the street. When we joined up with them, he asked, "Do you mind if we stop by my friend's house?"

"Which friend?" Ruby asked.

"The one who makes my gadgets. The Trick Master," Emerald explained, already walking down the sidewalk. "I keep all of my stuff there, and I need to replace some of my soil seals. He lives just north of Slateport."

There was no reason to say no, so we just went along with it. The city soon fell away to countryside as we made our way down the route. It was relaxing, just walking through the fields with nothing but the sound of the wind and Pokemon in the distance. There had been so much tension lately that I was happy to have a break.

A house soon appeared on the horizon. It wasn't far from the bike route that was well-known around this area, sitting quietly in the bridge's shadow. When we finally arrived at the door, Emerald knocked twice. There was no answer, and the short blonde extended one of his arms above the doorway. There was a small birdhouse there that he extracted a key from.

"He always keeps it in such weird places," Emerald muttered unlocking the door.

"He isn't home?" Amber asked as we walked into the empty house.

"Probably out checking on Wattson and New Mauville." Emerald replaced the key and followed us in. The house was rather well-kept, and he beckoned for us to sit at the table. "I shouldn't be too long. Feel free to look around, and if you get hungry, there's always something in the fridge."

The boys had already drifted off to investigate the multitude of gadgets littered around the house. Nothing really seemed to catch my attention, so I opted for going with Emerald.

"Just don't touch anything," he warned.

"Why not?" I demanded as he brought us to a door.

"Because," he retorted, "the seals I use contain soil from birthplaces of Pokemon. Each one has a specific scent that calms specific Pokemon. If you get your scent on them, then it will cover up the soil, and they won't work."

"Where do ya get all those seals anyway?" I asked.

He took a minute to open the door and turn on a light. Inside, there were shelves upon shelves of crates containing the pellets he used in his soil shooter. "The Trick Master gathers them for me when he can. He's constantly traveling so there's very few places that I don't have stocked here."

I tapped my chin. "Do you have Littleroot Town?"

"Pft, easy," he scoffed.

I leaned against the wall as he searched for the seals he needed. "Route 119?"

"Right here," he said absentmindedly flashing a seal before putting it back.

"Hmm, what about Mirage Island?"

"That one I do _not _have," he admitted. "Mirage Island is hard enough just trying to find, let alone getting a soil sample."

"Sorry I didn't bring ya any back," I laughed. "Maybe there's a speck somewhere on my clothes."

He perked up. "That would work!"

I rolled my eyes. "That was a year ago, Rald. It's probably washed out by now. But would just a speck really work?"

"As long as it still has the scent," he said putting a few seals in his shoe compartments. "I never use the whole seal at once anyway. Only enough to launch a shot. I save whatever is left for later use. The only time I've needed to use more than one shot was at the Battle Frontier."

"You mean when you calmed all of the Battle Tower Pokemon?" I said remembering the event.

He nodded. "Like I told you guys, it was special soil from an island said to inhabit Mew. I had to use most of it to complete the seal around the entire Frontier. I barely have a fourth of it left."

I watched him move onto another shelf. "Is it here, too?"

"Somewhere." The blonde pushed a crate aside. "I have it here for safe-keeping. I'll only ever take it out again in case of an emergency. You can't waste soil that precious."

I nodded, glancing around the room. The shelves took up most of the space, but the back wall was piled up with tons of cardboard boxes. I walked over to investigate them. "What're in these?"

"Just some reject projects the Trick Master could never bring himself to throw away," Emerald answered putting the shelves back the way he'd found them. "He can be a bit of a pack rat."

I raised an eyebrow at the bulging boxes. "I can see that."

The blonde turned to me with a huff. "Well, I think I have everything I need. I'm going to go check on the others. Hopefully they haven't broken anything."

I snickered at his narrowed eyes and turned back to the boxes as he left. One of the lids was slightly open, and I pulled the tab the rest of the way open. What looked like a remote-controlled helicopter lay inside. I picked up the small controller, reading the sticky note on it that said, "Snack Retriever."

Sweat-dropping, I picked up the box to investigate the one beneath it. This one contained a half-completed Spinda robot and another mechanical object that I had trouble identifying.

I folded the box's flaps, ready to move onto the next one, when there was a noise. It was so soft; I probably wouldn't have heard it if I hadn't been standing there considering which box to open next. It was coming from behind the gigantic pile standing before me. Trying to recognize the sound, I realized that it was the breathing of a person.

My feet sneaked quietly across the floor. There was a small space between the boxes that I slipped into. Grabbing one of my Pokeballs, I leaped behind the boxes with a snarl. "Who's there?!"

A hand clamped over my mouth. "I told you to breath quieter, Whi-Whi. It looks like you've given us away."

My eyes instantly widened at the sight of Drake standing there restricting my voice. Behind him, a girl with long brown hair stood up from a crouching position. Her hair must have been really long because it was rolled into two buns above her ears yet still reached her waist. Blue eyes flashed beneath a pink and white visor as she entered the light.

"Sorry," she said quietly, glancing down.

The redhead smirked cheekily back at her. "No worries. We got what we came for."

My fingers curled into fists. "What are _you _doin' here?!"

He chuckled at my muffled rage. "Like I would tell _you_, kid."

I ripped his hand off my mouth. "Then I guess you can tell the _police officer _when I bring you guys to him!"

"I've got a better idea." There was a flash, and a Hypno appeared. "Why don't you just come with us instead?"

I had barely any time to comprehend what was happening as the Pokemon raised its hands. Before I could respond, my eyelids flickered, and everything faded to black.

* * *

Gardevoir: *lets me off wheel of death* There, see? You lived.

Me: Barely. *collapses*

Ember: *glances up from magazine* Oh, good! She lived!

Me: *narrows eyes* Thanks.

Gardevoir: Now, what are we not going to do next time?

Me: *grumble grumble* Wait a month to update...

Gardevoir: Good girl! *pats head*

Me: *sweatdrop* Sorry, fellow readers! I've been juggling many things lately what with summer ending and school beginning (yay -_-) so this chapter came out much later than anticipated! I hope you all enjoyed it, though, and come back for more! Review and return!


	5. Chapter 5: Wait, what?

Me: *lying face-down on futon*

Gardevoir: Looks like someone didn't listen to our lesson from the last chapter.

Me: *makes inhuman noise through pillow*

Gardevoir: *sweatdrop* I may speak Pokemon, but even then, that made absolutely no sense.

Ember: She said, 'Sorry.'

Gardevoir: *surprised* You can understand that?!

Ember: *nod nod*

Me: *more inhuman noises*

Ember: She said to get on with the disclaimer already.

Gardevoir: Um...okay. **Disclaimer: Eon does not own Pokemon in any way. Uh...yeah. **

* * *

Chapter Five: Sapphire

When my mind resurfaced from the dark, everything came back slowly. First, I realized that my neck had been hanging backwards, and there was now an annoying crick in it. Second, my hands were bound, and I was tied to a chair. Third, the room was nearly pitch black, but the light from a computer provided limited vision. And last, there was someone standing in the glory of the light. I couldn't see his face, the light didn't reach it, but I knew he couldn't be anything good.

"Oh, it looks like you're finally awake, kid!"

My head lulled to the side, amplifying the annoying crick in my neck. Since he was facing the computer, I could see Drake clear as day. "What...?"

"Not quite...she still seems out of it."

I groggily turned to the other side. There was the girl with the abnormally long hair. "Where...am I?"

"Sapphire Birch."

My head starting to wake up more, I turned to the newest voice. It was the figure shrouded in darkness. "Who's asking?"

"Brown hair, _special_ blue eyes, tomboy, brutal fighter, daughter of the famous Professor Birch, touched by the essence of the legendary Kyogre, currently infatuated with Ruby Kougyoku."

"Hey!" I exclaimed blushing.

The figure snapped the folder in his hand shut. "One of the most powerful Pokedex Holders."

"What of it?" I growled. The feeling came back to my hands, and they fought against their restraint.

"Nothing at all," the voice said. "It's simply the truth. Which only makes this even more convenient."

"Convenient?" I raised an eyebrow. "Fer who? You?"

"Of course," the figure nodded. "You'll be very helpful to us."

"Me?" I scoffed. "Help _you?! _I would never!"

"Don't worry," the voice responded coolly. "I'm kind enough. I'll make sure you won't be able to feel a thing. This could get sticky otherwise. Especially if you were to run into that Ruby of yours."

I froze. Then my eyes narrowed. "What are you going to do to him?"

The figure stretched its hands. "_I'm _not going to do anything. You are."

Before I realized what was happening, the hands were encompassing either of my cheeks. I hissed instantly. They were so _cold. _

I could feel Drake clamp down on my shoulders when I tried to resist. "It'll go a lot smoother if you just calm down."

I tried to retort, but a cough of cold air came out instead. It was like my entire body was freezing over. Not literally, but like my nerves were. The feeling I had just regained in my hands slowly drained away. The ice was racing across my skin, creeping its way up my neck and into my head. Kind of like I was having a massive brain freeze.

My teeth clenched as it got worse. I tried to think back to a time when I had ever been this cold. Maybe when we took that trip with the Sinnoh kids and got stuck on Mt. Coronet for three days.

My eyes closed sharply. Had it been three days? Or maybe it was two... Wait, where was Mt. Coronet? _What _was Mt. Coronet? And who had gone there? Who was 'we'?

I began to panic then. Why couldn't I remember what I was just thinking about? Hadn't it been about a vacation or something? Or some bet? But with who?

Someone growled. "She's being difficult."

"Should I put her out?" Another asked.

"No," the first voice snapped. "This needs to be done while she's conscious."

I could barely feel anything anymore. This was getting bad, if I didn't get out soon, Ruby would be worried.

My entire body suddenly stopped moving.

Ruby?

...who was that?

My fists curled as I tried to recall the name. Was it someone I knew? Why couldn't I remember him? Or was it a her?

Why couldn't I remember anything?

"Sapphire."

A voice.

"Be calm."

Everything was so cold, it hurt. But this voice, it was nice. My tense muscles relaxed instantly.

"Are you calm?"

I nodded slowly, eyes closed. Whatever had been touching my face fell away, taking the cold with it. "W-who...who are you?"

"I am your Master."

I searched through my mind for any recollection of him, but there were no memories of any kind to be found. "Why can't I remember anything?"

"That's why I'm helping you," the voice said soothingly.

"And who exactly am _I_?" I asked lowly. I couldn't remember _anything._

"You are Sapphire. My new pupil."

My eyes opened slowly. Standing there was a tall man. I couldn't tell who he was; it was so dark.

"Don't worry," he said, softly laying a hand on my head. "I will take care of you."

"Thank you. ...Master."

Pearl

"No luck today either?"

Ruby sighed. "Not a trace."

Blue did the same on her end of the video phone. "I can't believe this. Where could she have gone?"

I sat on the other side of Professor Oak's desk quietly. Sapphire had been missing for three days now. No one could believe it. One minute she was there; the next, she was gone. Ruby, Amber, and Emerald didn't even know where to start looking. She just vanished.

"We just checked in with Professor Birch, and he says he hasn't seen her," the coordinator reported wearily. "I'm not sure where else we could look."

"Maybe she went back to Jet and Jasmine's," Amber suddenly jumped in. "She could have forgotten something there."

"And then decided to disappear for three days?" Ruby asked dubiously.

"Still, it's better than nothing," Blue said hanging her head. "You might as well give Amber's idea a try."

"We'll keep you updated," Red's twin said firmly.

Blue only nodded and hung up the phone.

"Nothing has changed, has it, Senior Blue?" I spoke up.

Her lips curved into a smirk as she stood up. "You juniors are cute with all your formality, you know?"

I narrowed my eyes when she ruffled my hair. "_Thanks."_

The brunette grinned cheekily. "You know what, for being such a good little helper, I'm going to take you shopping with me!"

I sweat-dropped. "Is that supposed to be a reward?"

"Of course!" She flicked a lock of hair over her shoulder and walked out the door. "Why don't we bring Diamond and Platina along, too?"

Sighing, I got out of my chair to follow. I wasn't sure how, but for some reason I had been designated as Senior Blue's assistant for the past couple of days. Whether it was studying the weird paper she had taken from Gold or trying to get a location on Sapphire, I hadn't really had a moment away from Blue's side. That didn't mean I wanted to spend my time shopping, though. I mean, come on. Shopping? At a time like _this_?

"That sounds wonderful," Platinum said after I gave the offer to her and Diamond. "It would be a nice release from all of the recent stress."

My eyes drooped in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea," Diamond whispered in my ear. "It might help Lady. She hasn't smiled once since that incident..."

I glanced up at her as she stood watching out the window. Her expression was the same solemn it had been for over a week now, and I knew that Diamond was right. The image of Lady crying with those red eyes popped up in my head, causing me to turn back to Diamond and nod.

"Then we're all in agreement?" Blue asked, cheerfully popping into the lobby. "I already let Greeny know, so let's go!"

Platinum gave a small yelp as the older girl locked arms and skipped her out the front door. Diamond and I chuckled lightly before following them outside. Maybe this venture wouldn't be such a waste of time after all.

A few hours later, I was bitterly taking that statement back.

"Here's another one!" Blue grinned as she added another bag to my already full arms.

I quickly slipped it over my wrist before it fell to the floor. By this point I could barely feel my arms, and I'm sure Diamond was in the same boat with all of Platinum's bags.

"Please tell me that was the last store," I muttered irritably.

Blue turned back and winked. "For this town it is!"

My jaw dropped, and Diamond had to drag my shocked form out of the department store after the girls. They headed over to the fountain outside the entrance where we collapsed onto the stone pavement.

"Celadon is quite quaint," Platinum noted running a hand through the fountain water.

"Didn't I tell you, though?" Blue said stretching her arms. "One of the best stores around!"

"Which is next?" The dark-haired girl asked curiously.

The brunette tapped her chin. "Well, if the boys are up for it, there's a shop over in Saffron that has just the cutest skirts!"

"You mean we have a choice?!" I asked excitedly.

"Nah, I was just kidding!" Blue smirked. "We _definitely _have to go! I've been meaning to show it you, Platinum!"

"It sounds delightful." Platinum turned to me. "Might we be off now?"

I waved my arms manically. "What are we supposed to do with all of the bags we have now?! We can't carry them all the way to Saffron!"

Blue held up a hand and brought out a Pokeball. A few minutes later, Senior Green's Charizard stood there loaded with all of the bags.

"Take these back to Greeny's lab and pick us up in a bit at Saffron," she said as it rose into the air.

The Fire type soon took off, and she turned to us with a satisfied huff. "Everybody ready then?"

"How are we supposed to get back?" I asked. Blue started walking off, and I ran to catch up. "That was Diamond and I's ride here!"

"Don't worry! He'll be back!" She flicked her wrist at me. "So impatient aren't you?"

I crossed my arms, fuming, and heard a small giggle from behind. Whipping around, I found Diamond walking next to Platinum, both straight-faced. My eyes narrowed at the girl. "You just laughed didn't you?"

She glanced away. "Perhaps."

I rolled my eyes, and she giggled again with Diamond when I turned back around. The streets were quite crowded as Blue led us through downtown Celadon. At the edge of the city was a sentry gate, and beyond that was the route that led to Saffron City. It was mostly trees, tall and large enough that our path through the forest was quite dark despite it being the middle of the afternoon. Instinctively, I drifted back to take my place on Platinum's other side.

"Should we be taking this path?" Diamond asked cautiously. "We still don't know what's going on with Team Rocket. They could be looking for us now that we have Yellow back."

"We don't know that for sure," Blue said firmly from ahead, "but it is possible that they could be out here. Let's proceed quietly."

Diamond and I nodded, watching Platinum protectively. She in turn watched the trees. Her eyes narrowed, and she slowly came to a stop.

"Lady?" Diamond asked glancing back at her.

She held a finger up to her lips. "Do either of you hear that?"

"Hear what?" I asked trying to listen to the forest.

Blue stopped, too. Closing her eyes, she frowned instantly. "Voices."

The three of us followed silently as she stepped off the path into the trees. At first, I couldn't hear what she and Platinum had, but the farther we went, the more clear it was that there were indeed other people on the route besides us. When I could finally start making out bits and pieces of the conversation, Blue suddenly stopped and ducked behind a bush.

"That's impossible!" She hissed quietly.

"What is it, Senior Blue?" Platinum whispered, bending down to her eye level.

"Why did we have to land all the way out here?"

Diamond and I froze, slowly turning to look at each other.

"I told you, Whi-Whi. Things are a bit tense right now, and we can't afford to be seen entering the city. We're going to have to sneak in."

I bit my lip, trying to place that voice. Blue did it for me. "Drake."

"There is someone with him," Platinum said peaking her head over the bush. Then she stopped. "W-what?"

Sneaking forward, I sneaked a peak at what was shocking her, in turn getting shocked myself. "WHAT?!"

Blue face-palmed as a flurry of Razor Leaves suddenly streaked past us. I tried to shield Platinum from the worst of the attack, but in the end, both of us were bleeding from various nicks on our arms. The tattered bush fell away, and the four of us were exposed to the group standing in the clearing.

The first I could assume was Drake as he was the only boy there. The girl next to him looked rather timid for a member of Team Rocket. She hid slightly behind Drake, only one of her brown hair buns visible over his shoulder. The last person with them stood next to a Tropius staring at us with narrowed eyes.

Narrowed _yellow _eyes.

My mouth dropped open. "W-what's going on?!"

The person frowned, revealing a sharp fang, and then there was no doubt about it. We were standing face to face with Sapphire.

Blue shot to her feet. "Where have you _been?! _We've been looking everywhere for you!" **  
**

Diamond stepped out into the clearing, slowly approaching Sapphire. "Senior Sapphire? What are you doing here?"

The brunette blinked her hard, yellow eyes. "Excuse me?"

Coming to a stop, Diamond tilted his head. "Why are you with Drake?"

"Why are you asking me a stupid question like that?" Sapphire snapped at him. "I don't even know you!"

Blue's eyes widened. "What?"

Drake sighed and shook his head. "We don't have time for this." He clicked the button on one of his Pokeballs, and a dark figure appeared from the flash. It wasn't any Pokemon species that I knew, and I would've reached for my Pokedex had it not started lifting its arms. Eyes locking on Diamond, I realized that it was about to fire a move at him. I didn't know this Pokemon, thus I didn't know what move it was going to be, but I knew that it couldn't be anything good.

"DIA!" I screamed, sprinting away from Platinum and tackling him aside. We fell on the ground and quickly looked back to see a black hole in the ground where Diamond had just been.

"What is...?" I muttered before it started moving. It wasn't headed for us, and my eyes widened when I realized who its new target was. "Lady!"

The black hole sped towards her faster than she could comprehend it. Blue even tried to knock her out of the way before it could hit, but that just ended up getting her caught in it as well. The hole hit the both of them, sucking the girls down within a matter of seconds. My stomach dropped with horror, but I didn't even notice as the hole flickered over to Diamond and me. Our eyes locked in fear for a moment before it swallowed us, too.

* * *

"So who were those people anyway?"

Drake glanced back at Sapphire's suspicious face and shrugged. "Master's enemies."

He turned to the bun-haired girl beside him as her eyebrows scrunched. "Where did they go?"

"Don't worry about it, Whi," he smirked, gently nudging her shoulder. "I'll deal with them later. We have a mission to see to right now."

"Come on," Sapphire gestured as she ran past them. "I think that's the building up ahead!"

Whi sweat-dropped as she attracted the attention of various passersby. "So much for going unnoticed."

"It shouldn't be a problem as long as we get in and out," Drake said glancing around. "Those four seem to be the only ones that were out today."

They focused on Sapphire again as she pointed to the entrance of the towering building before them. The letters above the doors read "SILPH CO.", and Drake pushed his glasses against his eyes. "Time for the last piece."

He led the way in. The girls followed behind on either side, curiously taking in the chic design of the building's interior. There was lady at the front counter who smiled as they approached.

"Welcome to the Silph Company," she nodded politely. "What can I do for you today?"

"We're here to pick up a special order under the name of Blaze," Drake said cocking his head slightly.

"Your product was just packaged this morning. Allow me to get it for you." The lady got up and disappeared through a door in the back.

Drake turned around, leaning back on his shoulders. Beside him, Whi sighed. "Why did we have to use my last name?"

"Why not?" Sapphire raised an eyebrow smirking. "It sounds cool!"

"Yeah, it sounds cool," Drake said nodding at Sapphire. Then he paused. "I would've used mine, but...I don't even know if I have one."

Sapphire gave him a weird look. "What do you mean? You don't have a surname?"

Drake shook his head slowly. "Not that I can recall. All I've got is what everybody calls me."

"That's weird," she muttered before resting her bored head on the counter.

Whi's eyes softened as Drake looked down at the ground. "Drake?"

"I'm not even sure who that is," he answered her quietly.

A bell sounded, and Sapphire ignored it. Whi and Drake, however, glanced up to see someone entering. It was an older lady dressed in business attire with her hair in a neat bun. A small child walked next to the woman, a doll held in her little arms. Drake leaned forward off his arms and slightly pushed his sunglasses down his nose so he could see better. The girl couldn't have been more than two, her dark red hair bouncing in a ponytail.

"Drake?" Whi asked again. He was staring so intently at the child, and she was confused as to why.

The admin didn't answer. Instead, he continued to watch the two newcomers walk in their direction. When the little girl passed by his feet, she tripped over her own, dropping her doll and bumping her head. As she recovered from the hit, Drake bent down to pick up the toy. It was a simple one made of cloth like a rag doll, but somehow, it felt familiar in his hands.

He sensed a presence and lifted his gaze to find the little redhead watching him. Her dark green eyes stared intently into his over the rim of his sunglasses. It took him a moment to realize that she wanted the doll, and he handed it to her gently.

She hugged it tightly and smiled at him. "Thank you!"

He froze as she scampered off to the woman and disappeared into the elevator.

Whi grew worried at his stiff figure. "Drake?"

The counter lady returned with the package, and Sapphire lifted her head to take it from her. When she turned to Drake, he looked as if he could barely hold himself up.

"You okay there?" She asked warily. "We need to get going!" Then the brunette raced for the door.

Drake didn't move from his bent position. "I..." He had trouble getting his voice to work. "I know her."

Whi swiftly knelt next to him. "What?"

"That girl..." Her turned to her with wide blue eyes. "I _know _her, Whi."

* * *

Gardevoir: Is she going to lay there forever?

Me: *inhuman noise*

Ember: *nod* Yes.

Me: *long string of inhuman noises*

Ember: *ahem* 'Hello, readers. I apologize for my current state, but I have been suffering from a massive wave of writer's block lately. I think it's slowly getting better thanks to my friends like Amy-chan and Stocky-chan, but I still can't say that writing this chapter was easy. Sorry for all of the confusion it's creating right now, but that should be explained later on. Thanks for being so patient with my updates, and I hope to see you next time. Review and return!'


End file.
